Well-digging apparatus.



C. B. MARTIN.

V WELL DIGGING APPARATUS.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA n.14, 1910. Y l

\ v l 2 snm' TTTTTTTT 1.`

W/ ff? f/ monufrs c. B. lszlARTI'N.` WELL DIGGING APPARATUS.

y PPPP I AAAAAAAAAAA Pn. 111111 o. Patented Sept. 12,1911.

26/ v i :Y/ I 3,5 .I3 fr '35 lx 18 wwmw Z3 M19 I' g4 /1 YTORNEYS WMM 1j-WM.

ennemis B.' MARTIN, or Pommern, onEGoN.

WELL-mesme Arrennrus.

' Speciicatioii of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

application inea pru i4, 1910. serial No. 555,409'.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State ofregon, have invented a new and Improved Well-Digging Apparatus, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

rl`his invention relates to apparatus for digging wells, and for formingbores in the earth, t'or did'erent purposes, and has reference moreparticularly to apparatus or `this class comprising a casing adapted toheadv'anced into the here as it is formed, a drill head associated withthe casing, andmeans for conducting duid pressure to the drill head tocause the saine to advance into the earth.

'lhe object of the invention is to provide asimple, strong and e''cient4apparatus for digging Artesian, oil or other wells', in which Huidpressure is used for operating the drill head, by ineens of which borescan be drilled ra idly and at comparatively low cost, whic can heemployed for forming bores through sand, earth, or rock, by means ofwhich the work can be carried on rapidly and without interruption, whichdoes not easily become disarranged, and which requires comparativelylittle supervision.

he invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to bemore fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a par-t ofthis ,specification, in which similar characters of refern ence indicatecorresponding partsy in all the views, and in which Figure l is avertical section showing an embodiment of my invention in operation incomparatively soft material, suchasdirt or sand; Fig. 2 is 4e similarview showing the apparatus used for drilling e. bore through rock; Fig.3 is enlarged longitudinal section of the lower end of the drill casingand the drill head; ll'ig. l is a similar view, the

section being teken at right anglesto the section shown in Fig. 3; andFig. 5 is an end view of the drill point.

BeforeA proceeding to a more detailed eirplanetioiio my invention itshould` be clearlyA understood, thet`" while the appare;` tus isparticularly useful for digging oil and Artesian wells, it canf'also-beAadvantafrom metal o eration. If rock is encountered, however, Y t

e hydraulic pressure is used to raise the drill head and point adistance, whereupon it descends gravitationally when the pressureisreleased. By repeating these operations a bore can be drilled withease, through rock. The pressure is turned ed automatically when thedrill head rises, and conscquently the parts descend under the inhuenceAci? their weight, vand strike a heavy blow at the lower end of thebore, with a corresponding cutting action. Any suitable,

available pressure can be'employed. l have found that hydrauliclpressureof two hundred and fifty pounds to the square inch, withn a flow of onethousand gallons a ininute, is adequate for the operation of myapparatus, under ordinary circumstances.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, I employ s.- tubularcasing 10, fashioned iping or the like, and consist ing prefereJ ly ofsections which can be easily jointed together. As the casing def scendsinto the bore with the progress of the drilling operation, additionalsections can be added to lengthen the casing as necessary. At the lowerend, the casing has therein a lining collar 11, at the lower edge ofwhich is located, wit-hin the casing, a gasket or washer'12 of anysuitable material. Within the lining collar is' movably located e. drillhead 13 consisting of an elon ted member which fits fairly snugly withinthe collar, and has two passa es 14 and 15 respectively, extendinglongitu inally through it. Near the lower end, it is provided .withthreads 16 bymeans of which it can be screwed intoa laterallyextended,tepered drill point l?,

which has e. chamber '18 therein, and is pro vided with perforetions 19.The point has a. cutter 20 which has a. tubular shank 21 positioned' inan end openingV or passege 22 of the point. Theshank-21commiinicateswith a tubular extension 23 ofthe' drllll-hed.

The extension is inclined to one side when the drill head and point areassociated,

extends to the outlet passage 22. The passageliof the head terminates atthe lend thereof, as is shown most clearly in. Fig. 3.

` The head 17 may be of'any suitable size, and if so desired, may beprovided with ribs 24. It extends laterally beyond the tubular casing10, andlin normal positions of the parts, seats against the lower end ofthe casing and the gasket 12. The drill head, near the upper end hasrecesses in the opposite sides thereof, adapted to receive pegs or studs26 which constitute keepers to hold the drill head and point in thepositions shown-in Fig. 3. The keepers 26 are connected by a iexiblemember or line 27 for a purpose which will appear hereinafter.

I employ a pressure pipe 28, andan es- 'cape pipe 29. These at the lowerends have extended parts 30 and 31, which are located vin the passages14 and 15 respectively. The

latter have the upper ends reduced to form shoulders adapted to engagethe extended parts of the plpes, so that the same are retained inposition. A stop member 32 has openings 33 through which the pipes pass.It is rigidly secured to the pipes and forms an abutment for a helicalspring 34. The latter is mounted about the pipes and engages the upperend of the drill head.

The pressure or supply pipe 28 has coni nected thereto at its upper end,by means of a suitable coupling 35, a hose 36, or other conduit, forsupplying the fluid under pressure, from a suitable pipe system 37. Iprovide la Valve 38 of an convenient type, by meansfof which the ow offluid into the pipe 28 'can` be controlled and regulated. The escapepipe discharges at an convenient point, and if so desired, a redge orother pum can be connected with the esca e pipe, to acilitate the iow ofthe iuld through it. At times it will be found convenient to employ acounterweight. As is shownA for example in Fig. 2, a suitable stand 39.is .erected near the upper end of the bore, and has a pulley 40, overwhich .a rope 41' passes. The rope is secured to a ycrosspiece42,mounted near the upper ends of the pipes and has at the otherextremity aSuitable weight 43. The weightgtends to lift the pipes, and the drillhead and oint associated therewith.' In the form o the invention shownin Fig. 2, the supply pipe, at the upper end has a valve 44, anoperating arm 45 of -which is pivotally secured to a suitable support46,y forl a purpose to appear hereinafter. The form of the apparatusshown in Fig. 1 is used for drilling throu h soft material, such assand, or dirt. T e bore A resultin is formed by the erosive action ofthe iiuid under pressure, as well as the weight of the apparatush Thewater enters through the ipe 28 at high pressure, and ows through tliedrillhead, escaping at the point, through the shank passage. It

washes away the material so that the drill head adually forces its waydownward througr the material. The water escapes by entering the chamber.18 through .the openings 19, and fiowing to the escape plpe, throughthe passage 15. A certain quantity of the water will also find its wayto the surface of the earth through the bore A at the outside of thecasing 10.

If it is desired to use the apparatus for drilling through rock or otherresistive material, the keepers 26 are removed by means of a grapplewhich is let down into the casing and employed to seize the line 27.When thekeepers are removed, the drill head is capable of a limitedreciprocating movement vertically. The operation of the device is thenas follows i The valve 38 is opened, the water at once rushes into thepipe 28, and to the head, escaping with great violence at the point. Theresult is that the reaction drives the drill head upward against thetension of the spring, compressing the same', and thus carrying thepipes 28 and 29 upward with it untll the position of the parts shown inFig. 3 is reached that is until the point engages at the lower end o thecasing. The upward movement of the fpressure pipe 28 has closed thevalve 44, the

operating member 45 of which is secured to the support 46. This causesthe pressure to cease, and the drill head gravitationally returns to itsoriginal position, striking the head a blow at the lower end of the boreB. This drilling action is repeated until the bore is carried as far asdesired. The coun- I terweight 43 assists in raising the drill head andthe p ressure and supply pipes. The

spring assists the downward movement of Athe drill head when thepressure is shut off,

forated, iuid can enter the well through it.

If so desired, suitable means can be provided or holdin the casing 10centrally within the bore. l owever, in the course of the drillingoperation, earth and stones, or other material in the bore willgradually pack in around the casing at different points,

and thus serve to center it within 4the bore. I {aving thus described myinvention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1.Apparatus of the class described, comprising a casing, a movable drillhead at the lower end of said casing', nieans for conducting fluid underpressure to said head, and means for temporarily' holding said headagainst movement relative to said prising a casing, a-movable drill headat the lower end of said casin and havin a drill point, a pipe forlconducting dui under pressure to said head, a valve controlling the owof duid through said pipe,a spring tende ing to depress said head a pi efor conducting duid away from said head, and a keeper for holding saidhead a ainst movement relative to said casing, sai keeper beingreleasable from a point remote from said head.

d. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a casing, areciprocating drill head at the lower end thereof and having a limitedmovement, a pipe :for supplying duid pressure to said drill head toraise the same,

a valve located near the entrance of the bore for regulating the duidpressure in said pipe, and mechanical connections between said 'pi e andsaid valve whereby a movement oigsaid pipe serves to close said valve.

5. Apparatus or the class described, comprising a casing, a reciprocatindrill head at the lower end thereof and iavin assages therethrough, adrill point carried by sa1d head and communicatin with said pas' sages,a spring tending to old said head in a depressed position, a pi for suplying duid under pressure to sai head an communicating with one of saidpassages, a duid pressure escape pipe communicating with the other ofsaid passages, a valve controllin a dow of duid through said rst pipe anlocated near the upper end thereof, and means for closin said valve byan upward movement of sai i e.

6. Apparatus ofpthe class described, comprising acasing, a reciprocatindrill head at the lower end thereof and avingA as sages therethrough, adrill point carrie by said head and communicating with said assages, aspring tending to hold said hea in a depressed position, a pipe for suplying duid under pressure to said head and communicating with one ofsaid passages, a duid pressure escape ipe communicating with -the otherof said passages, a valve controlling a :flowof fluid through said-firstpipe, means rork closing said valve by an upward movement of sa1d pipe,anda counterweight tending to raise said pipe.

-. 7. .l Appartaus ofr the class descri comof Huid into one of saidpipes,

prisinga casing, a reciprocating drill head at the lower end thereof andhaving a perforated drill point, said head having passages therethrough,pipes communicating with said passages, a stop member carried by saidpip, a spring engagin said stop member and said head, and ten ing todepress the latter, a valve for regulating the flow and a fixed supportoperatively connected to said valve, whereb a movement of said pipehaving said va ve serves to close the latter.

8. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a casing, areciprocating drill head "at the lower end thereof and havmg aperforated drill point, said head having passages therethrough, pipescommunicatin with said passages, a stop member carried by said pipes, as ring en agin l member and said ead, an ten ing to deress the latter, avalve for regulating the dow of fluid into one of said pipes andconnected therewith, a ixed support operatively connected to said valve,whereby a movement of said pipe having said valve serves to close thelatter, said head havin a recess, and a removable member locate in saidrecess and serving to prevent the movement of said head relative to saidCasin Apparatus of the class descri d, comprising a casing, areciprocatingI drill head at the lower end thereof and having aperforated drill point, said head having pas-` sages therethrough, pipescommunicating with said passages, and extending longitudinally of saidcasing, a stop member carried by said pipes, a spring en aging said stopmember and vsaid head, an tending to depress the latter, a valve forregulating the dow ofduid into one of said pipes, said valve having an oerating arm, a fixed support having sai arm pivotally secured thereto,whereby a movement of said pipe having said valve, serves to close thelatter, and a counterweight connected with said pipes and tending toraise the same.

10. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a casing, areciprocating drill head at the lower end thereo and having a perforateddrill point, said head having passages therethrough, pipes communicatingwith said dinally of said casing, a stop member carried by said pipes, aspring en agin said stopmember and said head, an tending to depress thelatter, a valve for regulating the flow of fluid into one of said pipes,said valve having an operating arm, a xed support havin said armpivotally secured thereto, Awhere y a movement of said ipe having saidvalve, serves to close the atter and a counterweight connected with saidpipes and tending to raise the same, said passages having the upper endsreduced, sard pipes having enlarged parts located within passages, andextending longituf said stop i seid' passages,a under said reduced endsthereof; whereby said pipes serve tov 'limit the `downward movement ofsaid head.

11. Apparatus of the class described, comE prising a, Casin having alining collar et the lower end t ereof, a drill head located. at thelower end of said casing, within said lining coller, and having a drillpoint` laterally extended beyond said easlng, Seid 10 drill pointbeing'of annular form at the uper end and adapted to seat at the lower en ofsaid"`casing, and a gasket positioned at the lower endef said casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of 15 two subscribing witnesses.

n CHARLES B. MARTIN. l Witnesses:

ERNEe'r Koen J. EDWARD Whse.

